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2013 hyundai equus Model Overview

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The Hyundai Equus is the Korean-made equivalent of German luxury cars. While it doesn’t quite live up to the luxury sedan status, it is more than ample under the hood and on the road. The design might be a little quirky, and the quality of the interior may leave something to be desired, but the price point and long list of standard features is well worth the money.

New For 2013

The Hyundai Equus is the Korean-made equivalent of German luxury cars. While it doesn’t quite live up to the luxury sedan status, it is more than ample under the hood and on the road. The design might be a little quirky, and the quality of the interior may leave something to be desired, but the price point and long list of standard features is well worth the money.

Exterior

The Hyundai is a luxury sedan, and it looks like one. It comes in two trims, the Signature and the Ultimate. For the Signature, the Equus features 19-inch wheels, adaptive automatic bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, and fog lamps. The adaptive headlights will adjust to make sure the lighting is pointed toward the direction the car is headed, and the fog lamps alloy for additional visibility. Also standard are the power-folding and auto-dimming side mirrors, automatic rain-sensing windshield wipers, a powered sunroof, and a trunk with powered open and close features. For the Equus Ultimate trim, add powered rear-seat sunshades to replace the manual ones on the Signature. Other standard exterior fare for both trims includes privacy glass, chrome touches, and turn-signal mirrors placements.

The overall design is attractive, but it is not as impressive as German luxury cars or many American luxury cars. The exterior color options are limited to five versions of white and black, and leaves a bit to be desired.

Interior & Cargo

While the 2013 Hyundai Equus has all the features expected from a luxury vehicle, the low price tag is definitely representative of the quality of materials used through the cabin. While the cabin is rather comfortable, the durability of materials is poor in comparison to the competition. Leather will stretch out and materials are easily damaged.

That said, the interior features for the 2013 Hyundai Equus are still impressive. The interior space is ample for legroom and headroom of front and rear passengers. The multimedia system is controlled with knobs, and it includes controls for audio, climate control, navigation, and more. Generally, it works alright, but it can be a bit touchy at times. For ease of use, climate controls are also available on the dash. The massive 17-speaker Lexicon brand stereo system includes an AM/FM/CD radio with MP3 playback, iPod integration, and a six-disc changer. Bluetooth can be used to integrate mobile devices to the sound system as well.

For the Signature model, the driver’s seat is 12-way adjustable and the passenger seat is 10-way adjustable. The Signature also seats five passengers, while the Ultimate only seats four due to the extended center console that runs into the rear seating. This center console includes a refrigerator, and while this is nice, it is a bit over-the-top and can be a bit bulky. The Ultimate also adds a forward viewing camera, enhanced audio and climate controls, rear-seat footrests, and a single screen DVD entertainment system. All seating is leather, front seats are heated, and both trims involve a three-zone automatic climate control system.

Safety

Standard safety features include front and rear side airbags, side curtain airbags, and a driver knee airbag. The passenger seat also includes a passenger detection sensor that only deploys the airbag if a passenger is present during the time of a collision. The 2013 Hyundai Equus also features standard luxury safety features such as a lane departure warning system, a pre-collision warning system, and a pre-collision preparation system that uses the adaptive cruise control technology. The adaptive cruise control uses sensors to make sure the Equus remains a certain distance away from cars by apply brakes or acceleration while cruise control is enabled.

During crash testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Equus received a perfect rating of “”Good”” for overall safety, which includes frontal offset crash testing, side-impact, and roof strength. Overall, the safety might be one of the most impressive parts of the Equus.

Driving Experience

The 2013 Hyundai Equus comes equipped with a 5.0-liter, V-8 engine that produces 429 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque, and it doesn’t offer any other engine options. The transmission is a rear-wheel drive eight-speed automatic with shiftable technology. This engine provides more than ample power, speed, and performance. The fuel economy is estimated at 15/23 mpg city/highway. During performance testing the Equus went from zero to 60 in about 5.7 seconds, which is average for its class and a little less impressive than it sounds.

The best quality of the drive with the Equus is probably the enormous lack of noise. The Equus is incredibly quiet in the cabin regardless of the noise on the road and under the hood. The ride is extremely smooth when using the default settings for the road, and when adjusting the suspension for sports driving, it will add some feeling to the road. It is not as quick as other luxury sedans, and the handling isn’t as impressive as most luxury sedans either. However, it is more than adequate on the road, and with the price point being slightly lower than some of the competition, it might be worth the luxury aspects. When it isn’t being compared to the luxury sedans it’s competing against, it is more than fast enough and acceleration is very responsive.

Key Competitors For The 2013 Hyundai Equus

2013 Hyundai Equus Pricing

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

$59,250

Certified Pre Owned Pricewhat is this?

$29,500

Certified Pre-Owned Price is the approximate price a consumer can expect to pay at a dealership for a used vehicle that has passed the manufacturer's certification process. This price applies only to vehicles covered under an automaker's CPO program, not to a dealership's own "certified" used price.

Recalls

Inoperative wipers during inclement weather can decrease driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Recall Date

0000-00-00

Description

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2012 Genesis vehicles manufactured August 1, 2011, to April 30, 2012, and 2011-2013 Equus vehicles manufactured July 10, 2011, to June 12, 2012. The windshield wiper motor cover seal on the affected vehicles may degrade allowing corrosion on the wiper motor's circuit board. The corrosion can cause intermittent or total loss of wiper function.

Remedy

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper motor cover and seal, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 140.